The present invention relates generally to locating a vehicle.
Functionality of vehicle key fobs typically includes a vehicle lock function, unlock function, trunk unlatch, and panic alarms. Vehicle owners further utilize their key fobs to locate their vehicle. Most vehicle key fobs and vehicles include functionality such that when the vehicle is parked in a crowded parking lot, the lock button on the fob may be pressed to actuate an audible device mounted on the vehicle to locate the vehicle. Historically, when attempting to locate a vehicle in a crowded parking lot, the vehicle owner has traditionally relied on either pressing a panic button or double pressing a lock button on a key fob to activate either the vehicle alarm system or a soft chirp respectively. The vehicle owner may then listen for the audible response produced by the vehicle to locate the vehicle. However, the panic and lock button were not designed or intended for such use. The panic button was designed to be intentionally loud and harsh to draw attention and alert others to the vehicle. Using the panic button as a car finder in this fashion makes the alarm system less effective due to the high usage and annoyance of triggering the alarm and it also reduces the life of the horn which most commonly is shared also as the traffic horn. The chirp from pressing the lock button was designed to be soft and pleasing to the listener to confirm that the vehicle is locked, and thus, may not be loud enough to be heard from a distance.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,994,548 issued on Mar. 31, 2015 describes the use of an electronic device (e.g., piezoelectric element used as a sounder) in which a more pleasing sound to driver may be used as opposed to a panic alarm. The sounder is capable of generating a softer more pleasing sound on the depression of a respective button as opposed to a panic alarm. As the respective button is pushed a second time, the duration and noise level emitted from the sounder increases. The issue is that if the user is not close (e.g., within 30-40 meters), the user cannot hear the sound emitted from the sounder. As a result, a user may then manually revert to the panic button to generate the louder but annoying sound. The electric field created by the large currents required to drive the panic horn also make it difficult to receive signals from the fob requiring the user to walk closer to the vehicle and thus prolonging the use of the horn and the annoying sound. This creates non-use of the designated sound, reduced life of the horn, as well as customer dissatisfaction with the use of the fob.